Sport

Changing Young Lives

Posted
June 08, 2012 21:55:00

It's called Midnight Basketball - a program that's designed to change young lives for the better. The program which runs on Saturday night aims to get youth off the streets and involved in sport and life skills workshops. It recently started up in Alice Springs and those taking part say it's already having an impact.

LOUISA REBGETZ, PRESENTER: It's called Midnight Basketball - a program that's designed to change young lives for the better. The program which runs on Saturday night aims to get youth off the streets and involved in sport and life skills workshops. It recently started up in Alice Springs and those taking part say it's already having an impact. Allyson Horn reports.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: The thing about kids is, and especially when they're roaming our streets and in our community and that, they make their own choices and not all of them are good.

ALLYSON HORN, REPORTER: The town of Alice Springs has been grappling with the problem of juvenile crime - children as young as five have been found wandering the streets at night and police have had the deal with a spate of break and enters.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: Breaking into our businesses in town and running amok you know in the streets so they could get up to anything - it's just the choice that they make.

ALLYSON HORN: It's Saturday night and these Alice Springs children are getting ready to play basketball. This game is part of a program that aims to change young lives.

TESS WHITE, MB AUSTRALIA CEO: If you come in week one and two and then you come back in week seven and eight in the first tournament. Just different kids and it's a wonderful thing to see.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: Just chipping away at the psyche of some of these kids that think there's nothing better to do than other than walk around the street and, not all of them run amuck but some of them certainly do so, providing a space and giving them information that there are alternatives is always a good thing.

ALLYSON HORN: This is Midnight Basketball, a program run across the country targeting at risk youth. It's based on the idea of getting the kids off the street and onto the courts to combat anti-social behaviour.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: Midnight basketball started in Redfern about 5 years ago, it was successful sort of from word go because Friday and Saturday night is the highest risk period of the week for these kids and so it filled a big gap.

ALLYSON HORN: More than 40 children have turned up tonight and for some, it's a chance to shake up their weekend routine. But for others there are more serious implications.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: You know a lot of family homes have broken down and kids are just finding outlets, and I guess that's away from the home environment and out with their mates. Like I said if we can get them in an environment like this, you know the choice is here to have fun and be supported.

ALLYSON HORN: In the past few months many Alice Springs businesses have borne the brunt of youth crime.

KURT BRANDSO, RED DOG CAFE: The chef who lives out the back, he says there's people walking on the roof every night. I mean a lot of the times it's kids - if we catch them, we tell them, we let them go. I mean what can you do with little kids - we say just say oh run off.

ALLYSON HORN: This coffee shop in the Mall has been targeted a number of times. The owner believes engaging with local youths could be part of the solution to reducing break-ins and antisocial behaviour.

KURT BRANDSO, RED DOG CAFE: If there's some way that we can sort of connect these young people with all these, all the people that live here and the tourists as such and maybe there can be that empathy there between both sides.

TESS WHITE, MB AUSTRALIA CEO: From a diversionary perspective which is sort of the short-term aim, which is an important aim in the communities it's a big success. So policing statistics around the country and what police are reporting is a big impact on antisocial behaviour and obviously this type of behaviour in communities.

ALLYSON HORN: But this program also has a longer-term aim - increasing the life skills of those who take part. There's group workshops and a sit-down meal before the kids get onto the court.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: Any program where you can gauge kids one-on-one and actually find out - hey, what's going on - is always a good thing.

TESS WHITE, MB AUSTRALIA CEO: There's this calmness that everybody talks about, which you know it's a high energy night and there's 60 kids and there's basketball games but there is still a calmness that when people walk in they think, you know are these the kids that we know, what is going on here.

TESS WHITE, MB AUSTRALIA CEO: We absolutely and fundamentally believe in intergenerational change and that these kids, their pathway is through to you know doing well at school, staying at school, doing well at school and getting jobs.

ALLYSON HORN: Then it's time for the main game on the court - and the competition is fierce. It's hoped these kids will be back next Saturday night for another round. Although the program's in its early stages in Alice Springs, organisers are confident the community and the kids will reap the benefits.

JESS KARLSSON, MB VOLUNTEER: They're laughing a lot more and they're talking to each other, and they're really becoming more involved and engaged overall.

IAN MCADAM, MB VOLUNTEER: I know some people would say, oh it's only for a couple of hours and these kids will just go back on the streets but the point is they're not going to change their thinking if they're not involved with something that's positive.

TESS WHITE, MB AUSTRALIA CEO: I hope that what Midnight Basketball is able to do is provide this vehicle where everybody can display what they're capable of. It's a wonderful thing to see.